Gas metal arc welding processes are well-known and have been used for a number of years. Typically, a gas arc welding machine is provided with gases, such as helium, argon and carbon dioxide and such gases are premixed at a filling plant and supplied in a cylinder for use at a job site where a welding process is to be performed.
The main problem with this premixing technique is that either the gases were not properly mixed together at the filling plant or the gases undergo stratification in the cylinder. Thus, the mixture is not dispensed with the required ratio of gases. A proper welding process cannot be assured and can not be repeatable and reliable in all applications.
Because of these problems, a need exists for improvements in the delivery of a specific ratio of gases to a gas metal arc welding machine to assure repeatability and reliability in all applications. The present invention satisfied this need.